Struggle and Survival in Colonial America

Description

Here are the fascinating stories of twenty-three little-known but remarkable inhabitants of the Spanish, English, and Portuguese colonies of the New World between the 16th and the 19th centuries. Women and men of all the races and classes of colonial society may be seen here dealing creatively and pragmatically (if often not successfully) with the challenges of a harsh social environment. Such extraordinary "ordinary" people as the native priest Diego Vasicuio; the millwright Thomas Peters; the rebellious slave Gertrudis de Escobar; Squanto, the last of the Patuxets; and Micaela Angela Carillo, the pulque dealer, are presented in original essays. Works of serious scholarship, they are also written to catch the fancy and stimulate the historical imagination of readers. The stories should be of particular interest to students of the history of women, of Native Americans, and of Black people in the Americas. The Editors' introduction points out the fundamental unities in the histories of colonial societies in the Americas, and the usefulness of examining ordinary individual human experiences as a means both of testing generalizations and of raising new questions for research. Contents General Introduction Notes Part One: Survival Through Collective Struggle Introduction Opechancanough: Indian Resistance Leader Notes Sources Suggestions for Further Reading Diego Vasicuio: Native Priest Notes Sources Suggestions for Further Reading Red Shoes: Warrior and Diplomat Notes Sources Suggestions for Further Reading Thomas Peters: Millwright and Deliverer Notes Sources Suggestions for Further Reading Francisco Baquero: Shoemaker and Organizer Notes Sources Suggestions for Further Reading Damiana da Cunha: Catechist and Sertanista Notes Sources Suggestions for Further Reading Part Two: Survival Through Individual Defiance Introduction Notes Martín Ocelotl: Clandestine Cult Leader Sources Suggestions for Further Reading Antonio de Gouveia: Adventurer and Priest Notes Sources Suggestions for Further Reading Juan de Morga and Gertrudis de Escobar: Rebellious Slaves Sources Suggestions for Further Reading Cristóbal Béquer: Wayward Prebend Notes Suggestions for Further Reading Part Three: Survival Through Individual Accomodation Introduction Isabel Moctezuma: Pioneer of Mestizaje Notes Sources Suggestions for Further Reading Squanto: Last of the Patuxets Notes Sources Suggestions for Further Reading Beatriz de Padilla: Mistress and Mother Notes Sources Suggestions for Further Reading Catarina de Monte Sinay: Nun and Entrepreneur Notes Sources Suggestions for Further Reading Francisca: Indian Slave Notes Sources Suggestions for Further Reading Part Four: Survival Through Competition Introduction Note Miguel Hernández: Master of Mule Trains Sources Suggestions for Further Reading Hernando de Valencia: Tax Promoter Notes Sources Suggestions for Further Reading Enrico Martínez: Printer and Engineer Notes Sources Suggestions for Further Reading Jacob Young: Indian Trader and Interpreter Notes Sources Suggestions for Further Reading Micaela Angela Carrillo: Widow and Pulque Dealer Sources Suggestions for Further Reading Joseph Rachell and Rachael Pringle-Polgreen: Petty Entrepreneurs Joseph Rachell: Shopkeeper Rachael Pringle-Polgreen: Tavern Keeper Notes Sources Suggestions for Further Reading Note on Contributors Illustration Credits